Connector-yoke assembly for electrical cables and the like



Aug. 16, 1966 I M BETHEA, JR 3,266,826

CONNECTOR-YOKE ASSEMBLY FOR ELECTRICAL CABLES AND THE LIKE I Filed May7, 1964 INVENTOR.

' Z2 Malcolm Befi/eqafr 44 Affomgvs United States Patent 3,266,826CONNECTOR-YOKE ASSEMBLY FOR ELECTRICAL CABLES AND THE LIKE MalcolmBethea, Jr., P.O. Box 1407, Birmingham, Ala.

Filed May 7, 1964, Ser. No. 365,704 I 3 Claims. (Cl. 287-100) Thisinvention relates to an improved connector for re movably joining yokeplates and insulator strings used in suspending power lines and thelike, and to an improved assembly embodying the same.

In this art it often is necessary to change out insulator strings, orrepair the same without deenergizing the lines. It is desirable,therefore, that the connector and yoke supporting the lines, especiallyif the lines are hot, be held rigidly in position during the assembly ofthe ball of the insulator string into the socket of the connector. Atthe same time, once assembled, it is desirable that there exist limitedpivotal movement between the connector and the yoke in the plane of theyoke. So far as I am aware prior devices of this type comprisesimply avertically fixed, pivotal connection between the connector and bundleyoke. Consequently, when the yoke is raised vertically, thereby to movethe ball on the end of the insulator string to the bottom of the socketfor lateral sliding from the socket, undesirable pivotal movementbetween the yoke and connector is permitted. Remembering that such workis carried on by workmen high above ground, often with the linesenergized, thus requiring the use of hot sticks, the jockeying of theball from and into such a pivotally arranged connector-yoke is difficultand dangerous.

My invention has for its prime object to provide a connector-yokeassembly in which, when the yoke is raised, the connector is temporarilyrigidly and non-pivotally engaged with the yoke, or stabilized, wherebythe enlarged end of the insulator string may easily be removed from orinserted into the socket.

Another object is to provide a connector in the form of a clevis, thebifurcated legs of which straddle the yoke and the upper end of whichcarries the socket for receiving the ball of the insulator, string,there being aligned vertically elongated slots through the legs of theolevis through which slots and through the yoke passes a securing pin,all so dimensioned and arranged that when the pin is near the top of theslots, the top of an adjacent part of the yoke contacts the base of theclevis, thus holding the connector and yoke against relative pivotalmovement.

Apparatus illustrating features of my invention is shown in theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmental detail sectional view taken gen erally along line1-1 of FIG. 2 and showing the parts in the position which they occupywhen in normal use;

FIG. 2 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 and showing the positionoccupied by the parts when the yoke has been raised upwardly,preparatory to removing the ball of the insulator string from thesocket; and,

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional View taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG.3.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my inventionI illustrate the same in association with an insulator string indicatedgenerally by the letter S and a bundle yoke for supporting electricalconductors indicated generally by the letter Y.

As is understood, the insulator string S embodies a plurality ofinsulators 10, there being a rod 11 extending from the center ofthe'individual insulators. At the lower 7 end of the rod is a ball orenlargement indicated at 12.

The yoke Y comprises the arms 13 and a central, fiat portion 14 whichmay be described as being generally of plate configuration. As' will beunderstood, the conductors are supported from the ends of the arms 13,in a fashion well known and hence not shown in the drawings. Further,the yoke may be of the solid plate-type, or it may be open in which caseother arms 16 may be formed integrally with extensions of other arms,not shown, thus forming a closed geometrical figure.

My improved connector indicated generally by the numeral C embodiesessentially two parts. First, there is an upper part 17 having thereinthe socket portion 18 which receives the ball 12. As is understood, thesocket portion is open at one side as at 19 whereby when the parts arein the position of FIGS. 3 and 4 the parts may be moved relativelylaterally to each other, whereby the pin 11 may pass through the slot,the ball passing through the wider, bottom portion thereof. It will beunderstood that a cotter pin or like member 21 isinserted beneath theball 12 when the parts are assembled, thus to prevent accidentaldisplacement.

Next, it will be seen that in side view the connector is generally inthe form of a 'clevis having depending legs 22 joined to the .upperportion 17. The legs 22 are disposed to straddle the upper or plate-likeportion of the yoke Y as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. In the legs 22 Iprovide vertically elongated, horizontally aligned slots 23. A hole 24is provided in the plate-like portion 14 thereby to receive a pin 26which may be secured in place by a cotter pin 27.

From what has been described the construction and function andadvantages of my improved assembly may now be more fully explained andunderstood. With the parts in the position of FIGS. 1 and 2 it will beseen that the yoke may pivot about the pin relative to the connectoronly as limited by the clearance existing between a pair of shoulders 28on the enlarged, upper surfaces of the arms 13, indicated at 13. In thisposition, which is the normal or suspended position of the parts, theassembly acts in the ordinary manner to give a certain amount of freedomof movement between the parts. When it is desired to remove the ball 11of the insulator string from the socket the conductor yoke is engaged bya hot stick, if the lines are energized, and the same is pushedupwardly. This action causes the top 14 of the yoke Y to move upwardly,the slotted openings 23 permitting this. This motion continues upwardlyuntil such time as the top 14 of the yoke engages the base 29 of theconnector C, at the top of the legs 22 thereof. Continued upwardmovement moves the yoke and connector upwardly to a position where theball 12 engages the bottom of the socket, it being understood that thecotter pin 21 will have been removed to permit this action. Withcontinued upward pressure being applied to the yoke through the hotstick it will be seen that due to the engagement of the surfaces 14 and29, no relative pivotal movement is permitted between the connector Cand the yoke. Therefore, the workman may now push upwardly and laterallywith the hot stick still engaged in the yoke, whereby the ball 12 slidesfreely through the slide slot 19 provided alongside of the socket 18.

When it is desired to reassemble the parts the yoke is simply engagedwith the hot stick, in which position the connector C will automaticallyslide to a position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the assembly is raised, andslid laterally relative to the ball in proper position for easyengagement.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improvedconnector-yoke assembly. As stated,

the principal advantage of my invention is the .fact that V i itfacilitates the assembly and disassembly of the parts, particularly whenthe lines are energized. It will readily be apparent that the parts areextremely simple and are without complexities either as to manufactureor use. By means of my invention I have greatly reduced the hazardsoccasioned by workmen having to jockey or realign parts when attemptingto place the ball 12 in the socket 18, or to remove the same.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended cl-aims.

What I claim is:

1. In a connector-yoke assembly:

(a) a connector body having a depending portion lying alongside agenerally vertically extending portion of the yoke,

(b) there being avertically elongated slot through said dependingportion of the body,

(0) a pin passing ifreely through said slot so as to 'be slidabletherein and through an aperture in said yoke so as to be movable withthe yoke,

(d) an abutment carried by said body above said slot,

(e) a stop member carried by the upper end of said vertically extendingportion of the yoke and aligned with said abutment so as to engage saidabutment when the yoke is moved to its (farthest uppermost positionrelative to said body and prevent relative rotation between the yoke andsaid body and in position to disengage said abutment upon downwardmovement of said yoke relative to said 'body, and

(f) lmeans adjacent the upper end of said connector for connecting saidconnector to a superjacent member.

2. In a connector-yoke assembly as defined in claim 1 in which thedepending portion of the connector body comprises a pair of verticallegs spaced apart, and slidably receiving said vertically extendingportion of the yoke to permit the yoke and connector to partake ofrelative limited vertical sliding movement and said abutment is definedby the base portion of said body joining said legs.

3. In a connector-yoke assembly as defined in claim 1 in which the yokeis provided with other stop members adjacent either side of saidvertically extending portion of the yoke which contact said body andlimit pivotal movement of said body relative to said yoke beyond apredetermined amount when the yoke is suspended from the connector bysaid pin.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 591,478 4/ 1925 France.892,432 1/ 1944 France. 604,814 5/1960 Italy.

1. IN CONNECTOR-YOKE ASSEMBLY: (A) A CONNECTOR BODY HAVING A DEPENDINGPORTION LYING ALONGSIDE A GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING PORTION OF THEYOKE, (B) THERE BEING VERTICAL ELONGATED SLOT THROUGH SAID DEPENDINGPORTION OF THE BODY, (C) A PIN PASSING FREELY THROUGH SAID SLOT SO AS TOBE SLIDABLE THEREIN AND THROUGH AN APERTURE IN SAID YOKE SO AS TOMOVABLE WITH THE YOKE, (D) AN ABUTMENT CARRIED BY SAID BODY ABOVE SAIDSLOT, (E) A STOP MEMBER CARRIED BY THE UPPER END OF SAID VERTICALLYEXTENDING PORTION OF THE YOKE AND ALIGNED WITH SAID ABUTMENT SO AS TOENGAGE SAID ABUTMENT WHEN THE YOKE IS MOVED TO ITS FARTHEST UPPERMOSTPOSITION RELATIVE TO SAID BODY AND PREVENT RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN THEYOKE AND SAID BODY AND IN POSITION TO DISENGAGE SAID ABUTMENT UPONDOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID YOKE RELATIVE TO SAID BODY, AND (F) MEANSADJACENT THE UPPER END OF SAID CONNECTOR FOR CONNECTING SAID CONNECTORTO A SUPERJACENT MEMBER.